Image analysis of display content for dynamic adjustment of a continuous scan display

Abstract

Various embodiments relating to reducing memory bandwidth consumed by a continuous scan display screen are provided. In one embodiment, scoring criteria are applied to a reference image of a first image format having a first bit depth to generate an image conversion score. The scoring criteria are based on a histogram of one or more characteristics of the reference image. If the image conversion score is greater than a threshold value, then the reference image is converted to a modified image of a second image format having a second bit depth less than the first bit depth, and the modified image is scanned onto the continuous scan display screen. If the image conversion score is less than the threshold value, then the reference image is scanned onto the continuous scan display screen.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for displaying an image on a display screen of a computing device, the method comprising:
 generating a histogram of one or more characteristics of a reference image represented in a first image format having a first bit depth; 
 using information represented by the histogram to determine whether to convert the reference image to a second format having a second bit depth that is smaller than the first bit depth, wherein said determining whether to convert comprises computing an image conversion score based on the histogram; 
 responsive to a positive determination of said determining, converting the reference image to a modified image represented in the second image format having the second bit depth; 
 rendering the modified image that is in the second image format having the second bit depth for display on the display screen; and 
 responsive to a negative determination of said determining, rendering the reference image that is in the first format having the first bit depth for display on the display screen; 
 wherein the determining whether to convert comprises applying a scoring criterion in response to a static image period of the display screen; 
 wherein the determining whether to convert further comprises comparing the image conversion score with one or more threshold values. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first image format comprises an RGB format comprising: an R channel pixel intensity value; a G channel pixel intensity value; and a B channel pixel intensity value, wherein the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprise: a greatest pixel intensity value selected from the R channel pixel intensity value; the G channel pixel intensity value; and the B channel pixel intensity value, wherein the scoring criterion is applied based on a-the histogram of the one or more characteristics of the reference image, and wherein the histogram comprises buckets for each greatest intensity value of pixels of the reference image. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first image format comprises an RGB format comprising: an R channel pixel intensity value; a G channel pixel intensity value; and a B channel pixel intensity value, wherein the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprise: the R channel pixel intensity value; the G channel pixel intensity value; and the B channel pixel intensity value, wherein the scoring criterion is applied based on a-the histogram of the one or more characteristics of the reference image, and wherein the histogram comprises buckets for each pixel intensity value of pixels of the reference image. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first image format comprises a YUV format comprising a luma value and chroma coordinate values, wherein the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprise a distance value between the chroma coordinate values on a color gamut, wherein the scoring criterion is applied based on a-the histogram of the one or more characteristics of the reference image, and wherein the histogram comprises buckets for each distance value between the chroma coordinate values in the reference image. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said modified image is displayed on said display screen based on a determination if an accumulation of distance values greater than the threshold distance value is greater than an accumulation of distance values less than the threshold distance value, and wherein said method further comprises displaying said reference image on said display screen-if-responsive to a determination that the accumulation of distance values greater than the threshold distance value is less than the accumulation of distance values less than the threshold distance value. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image conversion score is computed by computing a dot product of a coefficient vector and a frequency vector, wherein the coefficient vector comprises a plurality of coefficients, each coefficient associated with a different bucket of the histogram of the one or more characteristics of the reference image, and wherein the frequency vector comprises a plurality of frequencies, each frequency associated with a different bucket of the histogram. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprises a number of edges in the reference image, wherein the one or more threshold values comprises a threshold number of edges, and wherein the modified image has a YUV format if the number of edges of the reference image is less than the threshold number of edges. 
     
     
       8. A computing system, comprising:
 a display screen; 
 a processor; and 
 a storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method of: 
 accessing a histogram of one or more characteristics a reference image represented in a first image format having a first bit depth; 
 using information represented by the histogram to determine whether to convert the reference image to a second format having a second bit depth that is smaller than the first bit depth, wherein determining whether to convert comprises computing an image conversion score based on the histogram; 
 responsive to a positive determination of said determining, converting the reference image to a modified image represented in the second image format having the second bit depth; 
 rendering the modified image that is in the second image format having the second bit depth for display on the display screen; and 
 responsive to a negative determination of said determining, rendering the reference image that is in the first format having the first bit depth for display on the display screen; 
 wherein the determining whether to convert comprises applying a scoring criterion in response to a static image period of the display screen; 
 wherein the determining whether to convert further comprises comparing the image conversion score with one or more threshold values. 
 
     
     
       9. The computing system of  claim 8 , wherein the first image format comprises an RGB format comprising: an R channel pixel intensity value; a G channel pixel intensity value; and a B channel pixel intensity value, wherein the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprise: a greatest pixel intensity value selected from the R channel pixel intensity value; the G channel pixel intensity value; and the B channel pixel intensity value, wherein the scoring criterion is applied based on a-the histogram of the one or more characteristics of the reference image, and wherein the histogram comprises buckets for each greatest intensity value of pixels of the reference image. 
     
     
       10. The computing system of  claim 8 , wherein the first image format comprises an RGB format comprising: an R channel pixel intensity value; a G channel pixel intensity value; and a B channel pixel intensity value, wherein the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprise: the R channel pixel intensity value; the G channel pixel intensity value; and the B channel pixel intensity value, wherein the scoring criterion is applied based on a-the histogram of the one or more characteristics of the reference image, and wherein the histogram comprises buckets for each pixel intensity value of pixels of the reference image. 
     
     
       11. The computing system of  claim 8 , wherein the first image format comprises a YUV format comprising a luma value and chroma coordinate values, wherein the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprise a distance value between the chroma coordinate values on a color gamut, wherein the scoring criterion is applied based on a-the histogram of the one or more characteristics of the reference image, and wherein the histogram comprises buckets for each distance value between the chroma coordinate values in the reference image. 
     
     
       12. The computing system of  claim 8 , wherein the computing the image conversion score comprises deriving a dot product of a coefficient vector and a frequency vector, wherein the coefficient vector comprises a plurality of coefficients, each coefficient associated with a different bucket of a-the histogram of the one or more characteristics of the reference image, and wherein the frequency vector comprises a plurality of frequencies, each frequency associated with a different bucket of the histogram. 
     
     
       13. The computing system of  claim 8 , wherein the determining whether to convert further comprises comparing the image conversion score with one or more threshold values, wherein the one or more characteristics of the reference image comprises a number of edges in the reference image, wherein the one or more threshold values comprises a threshold number of edges, and wherein the reference image is converted to the modified image having a YUV format responsive to a determination that the number of edges of the reference image is less than the threshold number of edges. 
     
     
       14. A method for generating images for display on a display screen of a computing device, the method comprising:
 generating a histogram of one or more characteristics of a reference image represented in a first image format having a first bit depth; 
 detecting an image conversion condition; 
 responsive to detection of the image conversion condition, using information represented by the histogram to determine whether to convert the reference image to a second format having a second bit depth that is smaller than the first bit depth, wherein determining whether to convert comprises computing an image conversion score based on the histogram according to a scoring criterion in response to a static image period of the display screen; 
 comparing the image conversion score to one or more threshold values; 
 selecting the second mage format from a plurality of image formats based on the comparing and the detecting, 
 wherein each image format of said plurality of image formats has a bit depth smaller than the first bit depth; 
 responsive to a determination that the comparing produces a first result: converting the reference image to a modified image of the second image format having the second bit depth than the first image format; and rendering the modified image that is in the second image format for display on the display screen; and 
 responsive to a determination that the comparing produces a second result: rendering the reference image that is in the first image format for display on the display screen. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the scoring criterion is based on the histogram of one or more characteristics of pixels of the reference image. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the image conversion condition corresponds to a static image period of the display screen. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of image formats comprises an RGB format and a YUV format. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein applying the scoring criterion comprises determining a number of edges in the reference image, wherein if the number of edges of the reference is greater than a threshold number of edges, then the reference image is converted to the RGB format, and wherein if the number of edges of the reference image is less than the threshold number of edges, then the reference image is converted to the YUV format.